An OSHA-Compliant Dental Practice

From the moment you arrive at our OSHA-compliant dental practice in Duluth, GA, you’ll see and feel an atmosphere unlike most others. Our friendly and knowledgeable personnel are here to serve you and make your entire visit as comfortable as possible. Feel free to ask for a tour of our facility.

We are proud to offer up-to-date equipment for patient treatment in a very clean environment.  Our steam/pressurized unit far exceeds the US standards for equipment of this type. We have weekly testing done, by an independent laboratory to be certain it is functioning properly. In addition, due to an elaborate air filtration system, you will not sense any of the smells usually associated with a dental office.

Our office team will help you relax in our reception area with a refreshing beverage. Make yourself at home while watching television or reading a current magazine. We encourage you to bring your computer or other Wi-Fi enabled device, as we have complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the office.

OSHA Sterilization

At Dentistry at Sugarloaf, we take several precautions to ensure your safety as our patient. Our team keeps up-to-date on the latest sterilization procedures and research. Our office complies with and exceeds OSHA standards for safety. We also have two sterilization centers where we can maximize efficient sterilization and minimize the chance of contamination through human error. All instruments and dental drills are heat sterilized after usage on every patient. (Some offices only disinfect dental drills - we sterilize them EVERY time.) Many items are disposable and all counter tops are wiped with hospital grade disinfectant between patients.

You may remember the TV program by Barbara Walters several years ago that highlighted the sterilization problem (“Dentistry’s Dirty Little Secret”). This is a topic of concern to many people, and rightly so. We need to be concerned about the health of our families when we visit the dentist. Just so you know…Dr. Norton has installed highly effective autoclaving equipment for instrument sterilization.

Most autoclaves use the same water over and over to make steam, and then kick the door open for the drying cycle. This provides a dark, warm, moist environment, ideal for germ life. Our “Lisa” sterilization unit uses fresh, distilled water for each cycle, and dumps the once-used water into a waste tank for subsequent disposal. “Lisa” keeps its door shut, and dries the sterilized instruments while vacuuming all the air out of the chamber. It operates in a vacuum for both the sterilizing and cool-down cycles.  We also use nothing but distilled water in our Laser and all other equipment that requires the use of water.

We are proud of the measures we take to ensure your safety, protection, and overall health. This is why we are so committed to preventing cross-contamination and infection. We feel it is of the utmost importance to guarantee that every possible measure is taken to assure our patients’ safety. 

In addition to a built-in sensor on “Lisa,” which confirms proper sterilization, Dr. Norton also has independent tests run weekly as double confirmation. You may rest assured that our state-of-the-art technology includes the very latest in sterilization. If you have any questions at all about our procedures, please speak up. We would be glad to provide you with additional information.